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Mobility is an important factor used to assess a person’s quality of life, and being mobile requires efficient functioning of various body parts – the brain, the skeletal system, muscles, and joints, to name a few. All these work together in order to produce purposeful movement. Problematic joints, therefore, will disable a person. Movement becomes impossible and daily activities are restricted. It is thereby important to keep one’s joints healthy to enable one to do the usual activities of daily living. So what can one do to keep the joints healthy?
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Move, move, move!
The purpose of joints is for mobility. If there is no movement in this part of the body, it defeats its purpose. The more the joint moves in a healthy manner, the more that a person is able to move freely. If joints are not being moved, it causes atrophy of the muscles surrounding it and this may cause stiffness. When we sleep, we seldom move our joints, and this result to morning stiffness, or the stiffness in joints upon waking up. It is presumed that during periods of immobility, the synovial fluids (fluids in the joints) leaks out from the blood vessels that will cause the tissues to become “waterlogged”. With movement, the fluids are pumped out towards the lymphatic system and the veins. This is called the “gel phenomenon”, described as the gel solidifying when it is left cold, and remains liquid when it is warmed or moved.
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Maintain Healthy Weight
If the joints of the lower extremities carry a heavy object, such as a heavy body, the cartilage that protects the two bones from grinding into each other will erode. Erosion of the cartilage, starting from it becoming thinner to its depletion, will cause so much pain for the person. This condition is called osteoarthritis. The only real way to prevent this disease is by maintaining a healthy weight. According to research studies conducted on subjects suffering from arthritis, losing 11 pounds of weight can actually decreased the levels of joint pain, particularly on the knees, by 50 percent. This is quite a significant indication that being overweight and being obese indeed causes problems on the joints. So it is always recommended to maintain your ideal, healthy body weight.
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Opt for Low-Impact Exercises
Exercising can help in maintaining healthy joints, but make sure to choose exercise routines that are low impact. Low impact aerobic exercises, according to Robin Gargrave of YMCAfit, are exercises that do not put the joints under much stress. These exercises are swimming, walking, and cycling. Pilates, yoga and tai-chi are also considered low-impact exercises. Walking may create some form of stress on the bones and the joints, but when it is done gently so as not to cause too much force on the joints, it can actually speed up metabolism. Power walking about 4-5 km/hr is also effective but with less impact on the joints. Another exercise that has low impact on the joints of the body but will have greater effects on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems is swimming. Cycling at a non-competitive level is considered as a low impact exercise; but mountain biking is high impact because of the rough roads. Although mountain biking has more effect on the metabolism, it has negative on the joints. Effective low-impact exercise is capable of creating a healthy effect on the cardiovascular and respiratory system while lowering the risks of joint weakening.
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Strengthen Muscles Surrounding your Joints
When the muscles surrounding the joints are strong, it can help support the joints very well. When the muscle is weak or fatigued, it cannot effectively absorb the shock that goes to the joints, particularly the knees. As the body, especially the legs, undergoes some form of impact, the first organ that absorbs the force created by any activity that causes resistance is the muscles. If the muscles are weak, the force goes directly to the bones and joints. This will result to further degradation of the joints. So it is imperative that muscles surrounding the joints be strengthened in order to prevent injury.
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Know Your Limits
It is important to keep your joints moving, but each one should know their own limits to prevent injury. Joint movement has limitations. Some joints have a full range of motion of 90 degrees, while some joints are only good for 15 degrees. Going beyond it will only make matters worse. So it is important that you choose only activities that will not overexert your muscles, bones, and especially, your joints.
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Eat Fish
What is in fish that it is effective in providing healthy joints? The fish oil! Fish oil contains the following three important elements: omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and decoxahexaenoic acid (DHA).
According to some studies, when researchers compared EPA and DHA to alpha linoleic acid (ALA) found in flaxseed and canola oil, EPA and DHA was found to protect the body more from inflammation. Joint inflammation happens when there is too much wear and tear on joints, and this is almost always possible especially when joints are constantly being used, and abused. With EPA and DHA, there is already the activation of anti-inflammatory markers, which will keep on protecting the areas prone to inflammation, such as joints.
Additionally, omega-3 fatty acids can help in decreasing the development of osteoarthritis. Studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids incorporate themselves into the chondrocytes, or the cells of the cartilage. Omega-3 fatty acids are then released regularly to decrease the enzymes that cause cartilage erosion, as well as inflammation-causing molecules.
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Observe Proper Body Mechanics
Proper body mechanics is the proper positioning of the body as it moves. Observing a correct posture when moving will have greater impact on the health of the joints since it can align the bones and the joints well. It also reduces stress on the structures that support the body, such as the ligaments. Having proper body mechanics will also benefit the spine and the muscles which will eventually prevent pain on the whole body resulting to conservation of energy.
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Use Supplements
Glucosamine and chondroitin are supplements known to aid in joint protection. Glucosamine is a protein naturally occurring in the body. Like every other protein, glucosamine is taken as has been said to increase the formation of new cartilage. Chondroitin, on the other hand, prevents the effects of the enzymes known to be responsible for the destruction of cartilage.
Sources
kidshealth.org
articles.cnn.com
nhs.uk
faqs.org
bodybuilding.com
bigkneepain.com
osteoarthritis.about.com
disabled-world.com
orthopedics.about.com
dynamomagazine.com
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